WWE legend Triple H has announced his retirement from wrestling. ‘The Game’ made the announcement in an interview with ESPN reporter Stephen A. Smith, bringing an end to his illustrious 27-year career in the company.
WWE confirmed the news on their Twitter as they posted: “@TripleH announced his retirement from in-ring competition on @espn @firsttake with @stephenasmith.” During the chat, the icon spoke of the events that led to his decision.
During the interview Triple H, 52, updated fans on his health and revealed some very concerning things. "For me, as far as in-ring, I'm done. I will never wrestle again," he said. "I have a defibrillator in my chest, which it’s not a good idea for me zapped on live TV. They followed up on it, did an EKG. Basically, the way your heart pumps out, it’s 55 to 65 percent of your injection fracture is a good number.
"I was at 30 [percent]. I had a quick text message saying, 'Don’t take time, pack a bag, we’ll head to the emergency room. I’ll fill you in on the way.' By the time I got to the emergency room, my ejection fracture had gone down to 22. I was in heart failure. Bad. By the next morning, as they figured that out in the evening, the next morning as I was setting in to get an MRI done and about to go in for a heart cap, my ejection fracture was down to 12."
As his condition began to deteriorate, Triple H feared for his life and hoped he would survive in the hope he could see his children again. "I was nose diving and at the one-yard line of where you don’t want to be. For your family and your future, when they tell you it’s 99%, it gets real. We have three young girls; 15, 13, and 11 [years old].
"Suddenly, I come home and I’m a little bit sick, and their dad, who is strong, always, suddenly is in the hospital. I don’t know if they understood the consequences of it, but there are moments in there when they are putting you out for stuff and you think, 'Is this it? Do you wake up again?' That’s tough to swallow. It makes you think differently about life. It doesn’t make you any less driven with the things you do, but it certainly makes you appreciate the things you have; your friends and your family."
Last September, WWE released a statement announcing Triple H was recovering after undergoing a "successful procedure" following a "cardiac event".
The statement read: “Paul Levesque, a.k.a. Triple H, underwent a successful procedure last week at Yale New Haven Hospital following a cardiac event. “The episode was caused by a genetic heart issue and Paul is expected to make a full recovery.”
On Friday, the man himself announced he would be on ESPN to provide an update on his health. “Been a while since I’ve given an update on my health and what the future has in store for me. Check out my conversation with @stephenasmith today on @firsttake. Full interview debuts tonight on Stephen A’s World on ESPN+.”
The ‘King of Kings’ last fought in a brief street fight in January 2021 against Randy Orton. His last pay-per-view bout was also against ‘The Viper’ at Super Showdown in 2019, in which he suffered defeat. Triple H retires as one of the most decorated superstars of all time, winning the WWE championship nine times and clinching the world heavyweight title five times.
Regarded as one of the most intense and passionate WWE superstars of all time, he became King of the Ring in 1997 and one of a small group of superstars to have won the Royal Rumble twice. The grappler has had several iconic WrestleMania matches and engaged in some truly unforgettable rivalries with the likes of Orton, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker.
He will still play a major role in the company as Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development of WWE, as well as the executive producer of NXT. Triple H was a master in front of the camera and has become a visionary and innovator behind the camera. He has and will continue to be an inspiration to his peers and fans around the world.
